The Beatles began with John Lennon, who was raised on Penny Lane in Liverpool, England. He was a teenager when rock greats Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry became stars in America. Influenced by their music, Lennon formed his first band, the Quarrymen. He invited Paul McCartney to join the group, forming one of the most creative musical duos in pop history.

Soon George Harrison became a member of the Quarrymen, along with drummer Pete Best and bassist Stu Sutcliffe. In 1961, Liverpool record store owner Brian Epstein caught on to the Beatles’ popularity and became their manager. By 1962, the band – now called the Beatles – had dropped Best and Sutcliffe and added drummer Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr. They landed a contract with Electrical and Mechanical Industries (EMI), and had several hits in Europe.

The Beatles arrived in the U.S. in February of 1964, when thousands of screaming fans greeted them at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. Their energy, musical abilities, wit, and “mop-tops” made them heroes to American youth. That year, the group’s first of 20 number-one U.S. hits, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” landed on the charts. Their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964 helped launch “Beatlemania.”

The Beatles began with John Lennon, who was raised on Penny Lane in Liverpool, England. He was a teenager when rock greats Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry became stars in America. Influenced by their music, Lennon formed his first band, the Quarrymen. He invited Paul McCartney to join the group, forming one of the most creative musical duos in pop history.

Soon George Harrison became a member of the Quarrymen, along with drummer Pete Best and bassist Stu Sutcliffe. In 1961, Liverpool record store owner Brian Epstein caught on to the Beatles’ popularity and became their manager. By 1962, the band – now called the Beatles – had dropped Best and Sutcliffe and added drummer Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr. They landed a contract with Electrical and Mechanical Industries (EMI), and had several hits in Europe.

The Beatles arrived in the U.S. in February of 1964, when thousands of screaming fans greeted them at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. Their energy, musical abilities, wit, and “mop-tops” made them heroes to American youth. That year, the group’s first of 20 number-one U.S. hits, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” landed on the charts. Their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964 helped launch “Beatlemania.”